Night's Master (Children of The Night 3)

By the time we reached my house a few minutes later, the rain had stopped. I was glad to be home. I quickly turned on the lights, as if that could chase away the evil that lurked outside in the shadows.

When I shivered, Rafe obligingly started a fire in the hearth, then drew me down onto the sofa beside him.

I snuggled against him, grateful for his nearness. “You're in danger now, too, aren't you?”

Rafe draped his arm around my shoulders. “Don't worry about it.”

“How can I help it?”

“Kathy, love, I appreciate your concern, but…”

“But you're a big, bad Vampire and you can take care of yourself,” I said, elbowing him in the ribs.

“Exactly.” His fingertips caressed my cheek. “Now that that's settled…” His lips brushed mine. “I've been needing to do that since last night.”

“And I've been waiting since last night.” But even as I closed my eyes and surrendered to Rafe's caresses, concern for Susie continued to niggle at the back of my mind, until I felt Rafe's tongue sweep the side of my throat. Excitement rose up within me as his fangs lightly scraped my skin.

He hesitated, his breath warm against my neck as he waited for my consent.

“Do it,” I murmured, and surrendered to the dark ecstasy of my Vampire's kiss.

The faint sting of his fangs was quickly swallowed up in the almost painful pleasure that followed. For a time, I was lost in a world unlike any other, a hazy red wonderland where nothing existed save one exquisite sensation after another—the heat of his mouth against my skin, the touch of his hand in my hair, the pressure of his thigh against mine.

Gradually, vague figures rose in my mind, like pale images emerging from the mists of time.

I saw Rafe playing football with a dark-haired boy that I dimly realized must be his twin brother, Rane. A woman with blond hair hovered in the background, her expression one of maternal amusement as the two boys tussled on the ground like rambunctious puppies. That scene blurred as a new one took its place, and I saw Rafe and his brother prowling the shifting shadows of the night. A tall, handsome man accompanied them, and I realized I was watching Rafe's father teaching Rafe and his brother how to hunt. The image became sharper, clearer. I felt the coolness of the evening air, the pounding of Rafe's heart as he summoned a young woman to his side. I felt his excitement and her fear as he wrapped her in his embrace and then, like magic, her fear vanished and she stood quiescent in his arms. I shivered as his fangs extended and his eyes took on a faint red glow. I gasped when he bent his head over her neck. The scent of blood and lust filled my senses and then, as if someone had turned off a light, the images disappeared.

It took me a moment to realize that Rafe was no longer nuzzling my neck, but holding me in his lap.

I stared at him, feeling oddly disoriented. “What happened?”

“What do you mean?” He was watching me, his face carefully blank.

“I'm not sure. If I'd been asleep, I would have thought I was dreaming, but…” I met Rafe's gaze, and he looked away. “I wasn't dreaming, was I?” Even before Rafe answered, I knew I had been seeing bits and pieces of his past.

“What did you see?” he asked, his expression guarded.

“You and your brother,” I said, smiling at the memory. “You were scuffling.”

“We used to do a lot of that when we were younger,” Rafe said, a melancholy note in his voice.

“You must miss him. I mean, I've always heard twins are really close, that sometimes they feel what the other is feeling, even when they're far apart.”

Rafe nodded. “It used to be that way, until he shut me out. Sometimes I feel I'm only half alive.”

“I'm sorry.”

“You'd think I'd be used to it by now. So,” he said briskly, “did you see anything else?”

“I saw the two of you, hunting with your father.”

A muscle twitched in Rafe's jaw. He didn't say anything, didn't draw away from me, but I suddenly felt like there was a wall between us.

“He's very handsome, your father,” I said, hoping to change the subject. “You look a lot like him.”

“You know what they say,” he said flatly. “Like father, like son.”

“What's wrong? It's not as if I didn't know you were a Vampire.”

“I never wanted you to see me like that.”

I stared at him. Was he embarrassed because I had seen him feeding?

“Not a pretty sight, is it?” he asked, his voice brittle.

I had a sudden image of Rafe and Susie running through the night together, their heads lifting as they paused to scent the wind for prey. Would they fight over the first luckless mortal who crossed their path, or would Rafe take the blood and leave what was left for Susie? The thought made me sick to my stomach.

Rafe swore softly, and I knew he had been reading my mind. Gently, he moved me from his lap onto the sofa, then gained his feet in a fluid movement no human could ever duplicate.

“Rafe…”

“You should get some rest.”

“Are you going to run away from me every time I learn something new about you, about how you live?”

He looked down at me, his eyes narrowed. “Is that what I do?”

“You know it is.”

“I don't want to hurt you. I keep telling myself to stay away, that no matter how I feel about you, about us, no good will ever come of it, but…”

“Stop thinking so much.” I rose from the sofa and wrapped my arms around his waist. “I'm a big girl. I know what I'm doing.”

“I only wish that was true,” he said, but he didn't back away.

Hours later, after Rafe had gone off in search of prey, I curled up on the sofa and thought over the events of the last few days.

I had met Rafe's grandparents.

The war was no longer between the Werewolves and the Vampires, but between the Supernatural creatures and the rest of the world.

The only friend I had in town was now a Werewolf.

I was falling deeper in love with Raphael Cordova with every passing day.

I was able to see what he saw and hear what he heard. Even more amazing, I was now seeing images from his past.

Oak Hollow was no longer a safe haven; perhaps it never had been.

On that happy note, I put on my favorite comfy nightgown and went to bed.

It was raining again when I woke on Saturday morning. The gloomy weather perfectly suited my mood, which only grew worse when I sat down to breakfast and read the paper. A man's body had been found out near Brawley Woods; a teenage boy was missing.